NCAA Bracket 2018: Tournament Schedule, Bracket Predictions for March Madness

The NCAA regular season is in its final days, and the conference tournaments will soon be at hand. 

Once those postseason events play out, it's time for the big one, the NCAA Tournament. The argument can be made that the tournament is the second-biggest event on the sporting calendar after the Super Bowl.

The countdown is on, as Selection Sunday is March 11 and the first games are two days later. Here's a look at the NCAA tournament schedule. 

We are used to seeing Duke or North Carolina at the top of the poll at this time of year, or at least at the top of the ACC standings. That's not the case this year, as Virginia is at the top of the rankings and the ACC standings.

Look for Virginia to become the No. 1 seed overall in the tournament, and that would put them in the South bracket. Purdue, Cincinnati and Texas Tech should follow with the next three seeds.

The top seed in the East Region is likely to be the Villanova Wildcats. Jay Wright's team has had the look of a Final Four team for much of the season, but there have been a few stumbles along the way. Nevertheless, the committee will respect this team with a No. 1 seed.

We see Duke having an excellent run in the ACC tournament and coming up with the No. 2 seed, while Tennessee and West Virginia will earn the No. 3 and 4 seeds.

Michigan State was the No. 1 team earlier in the season, and while they had some struggles during the early part of the Big Ten regular season, the Spartans will come away with the top seed in the Midwest Region. Xavier will get the hard-earned No. 2 seed, while Auburn and Arizona will take the third and fourth seeds.

Kansas is the best team in the Big 12, and that has been the best conference in the nation this year. The Jayhawks will earn the top seed in the West bracket.

Wichita State will get the No. 2 seed, while the defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels will take the third seed. Big Ten surprise Ohio State will get the fourth seed.

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Projections

While its possible for one of the lower seeds to break through and earn a spot in the Final Four, we expect three of those spots to be filled by No. 1 or two seeds.

Virginia seems likely to make it through to San Antonio, the site of this years semifinals and championship game, but do the Cavaliers have enough offense to get there?

Tony Bennett's team has had the answers throughout the year, but one bad half could do them in. We like the third-seeded Bearcats to make it through in the South region.

Villanova has perhaps the best clutch player in the nation in Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges provides a superb complementary punch. The Wildcats have been there before, and they will get pushed hard by Duke, but Wright's Wildcats will get the best of Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils.

The Midwest Region may be the most competitive bracket. Tom Izzo has one of his most talented teams, but the Spartans have been dogged by off-the-court issues this year, and they could stumble as soon as the second round. If Michigan State suffers a self-inflicted wound, the Xavier Musketeers will make it out of the bracket make the trip to San Antonio.

Even if the Spartans don't stumble, guard Trevon Bluiett will take Chris Mack's team to the Final Four.

Kansas has been steeled by the competition all year, and Bill Self's Jayhawks should be ready to play its best basketball of the year. Kansas will edge a good Wichita State Shockers team in the regional final and go to San Antonio for a chance to bring home the NCAA title.